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Manteca Woman Fighting Property Owners To Keep Cypress Trees

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MANTECA (CBS13) — An 80-year-old Manteca woman is going head-to-head with her property owners who want to uproot her trees.

“I was in tears most of yesterday,” said Alice Schlote. “I was having anxiety attacks.”

The signs outside her home say it all.

“On the trees on each of them there’s a sign saying ‘I love my trees’ and there’s a sign across my mobile home telling them “Please don’t take my trees,’” she said.

The grandmother says her property manager gave her a three-day warning that the cypress trees would be cut down, and she couldn’t do anything about it.

“I tried to plead with them not to and they told me that if I tried to interfere they would call the sheriff on me,” she said.

The manager at the Almond Blossom Mobile Park wouldn’t go on camera, but she told CBS13 that Alice’s trees are a safety hazard. The roots have cut power to street lamps outside four homes and cracked Alice’s driveway—something that could cause someone to trip and fall.

Because her trees are on private property, the owners can do what they want. But they’re finding out Alice isn’t alone in the fight.

“We all kind of stick together,” said neighbor Ida Belle.

“She loves those trees that’s the reason she bought the home was because of those trees,” said neighbor Carl Hampton.

Alice thought when she moved into her home eight years ago that it would be her last. But she says if her cypress trees go, so will she.

“I mean golly I’m 80 years old I want to enjoy my life,” she said.

The trees are scheduled to be cut down on Thursday, along with two other trees.